Suction cleaner



Sept. 28, 1943. c. GEBER 2,330,701

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l k INVENTOR Dale 6. Gerber ATTORNEY Sept. 28, 1943. D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. '7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvzmon Dale 6. Gerber ATTORNEY SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 7, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 I Dale C. Gerber ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1943 sucrron CLEANER Dale G. Gerber, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation Ohio Application December I, 1939, Serial No. 307,969

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly, to an improved form of muiller to reduce the operating noise of the cleaner.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. Another object is to'provide a new and improved muiller for suction cleaners. A further object is to provide a combination resonant-absorption mufller for suction cleaners, wherein the resonant portion of the mutller attenuates certain undesirable sound waves, and the absorption portion reduces noise throughout the audible range. Another object is to provide a combination resonant-absorption mufller constructed as a unit for attachment to the cleaner. A further object is to provide a resonant muffler wherein the cleaner casing forms part of the muiller construction. Still another object of the invention is to provide a resonantabsorption muiiier adapted to operate in dirtladen air streams. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specificationand drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the suction cleaner with parts broken away to illustrate one embodiment of the resonant-absorption muiller;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the I resonant-absorption muilier shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the resonant portion of the mufiier detached from the cleaner casing;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the invention, wherein the absorption mufiiing portion is carried by the resonant muffiing portion;

Figure 5 is'a perspective view of the muiller Figures 1 to 3 comprises a suction cleaner havin with a pulley i'l rigidly mounted on the motor armature shaft. A handle I8 is pivotally mounted on the cleaner casing for moving the cleaner on its wheels I9 over the surface to be'cleaned.

Extending rearwardly from the fan chamber 12 and slightly oblique to the longitudinal center line of the cleaner body is a rectangular exhaust passageway 20 having increased vertical and transverse areas as indicated at 2|, terminating in an exhaust flange 22. The increased section 2| of the exhaust passageway is formed by a shoulder 23, top wall 24, bottom wall and one side wall 28.

Secured to the three expanded walls of the exhaust passageway is an absorption mufiier com prising sound-absorbing material 28 such as sponge rubber, the walls 24, 25 and 26 forming the outer imperforate wall of the absorption muiiler. The interior surface 30 of the sound absorbing material 28 is provided with a perforated sheet metal liner 3| as a protection to the soft sound-absorbing material 28 against the severe abrasive effects of the dirt particles and other objects discharged from the fan chamber. The sound absorbing material 28 is omitted from the muffler casing side wall 32 because of the likelihood of pins and other pointed objects bein driven into the surface with such force as to penetrate the perforations and become firmly imbedded in the sound-absorbing material. The side wall 32 is recessed at 33 to accommodate the thickness of the perforated metal liner 3! so that the latter defines a rectangular exhaust passageway 35 flush with the fan chamber exhaust passageway 20.

A resonant muilier, indicated generally at includes a casing formed from a plastic material, such as Bakelite, although metal can also be employed, and is provided with an outer wall 42 terminating at one end in an annular flange 43 provided with a sealing ring 44, and a pair of diametrically opposed hooks 45 received by the bolt and nut connections 46 for removably securing the mufiier casing against the cleaner casing exhaust flange 22. The opposite end of the muliier casing wall 42 terminates in a radial wall 48 provided with a re-entrant portion 50 defining a rectangular discharge opening 5|. The exhaust flange 22. and the extreme end of the sound-absorbing material 28 cooperate with the muffler casing to define a resonant chamber 53 of a predetermined volume. The end 54 of the re-entrant portion 50 is spaced from the end 55 of the sound-absorbing material 28 to define an annular opening 56 of a predetermined area with respect to the volume of the resonant chamber 53 to attenuate the objectionable sound waves emanating from the cleaner exhaust passageway 20.

Carried by the re-entrant portion 50 is a perforated metal member 60 provided with a flared end M to receive the end of the perforated member 3! to form a passageway 02 which is a continuation of the absorption mufiier exhaust passageway 35. The entrance 50 to the resonant chamber 93 is covered by the perforated member 80.

The lower end of a dust-filtering bag 65 is removably attached to the muiiier wall 02 adjacent the ring 9, and its upper end is attached to the handle I8 in the conventional manner.

-In order to accommodate the bend in the lower end of the bag when the handle I8 is in vertical or storage position, the bottomwall of the mufiler is curved upwardly as indicated at 06. n

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 and comprises a suction cleaner similar in all respects to that previously describedwith the exception of the cleaner exhaust passageway I which terminates in an exhaust flange II. exhaust flange I I, by means of unshown bolt and nut connections, is a mufiler casing 12 on which is removably mounted the lower end of the dust filtering bag 65.

Th mufiler casing I2 is formed of plastic material such as Bakelite, altho metal can also be employed, and comprises an annular wall it terminating at one end in a flange It provided with a sealing member 75 to form an air tight seal with the exhaust flange II. 'The opposite end of the muffler casing wall I9 terminates in an in- The flange l9 of'the re-entrant portion I8 is spaced a predetermined 'distance from the exhaust flange II to deflne an entrance 82 to the resonant chamber 80 and is of a certain area with respect to the volume ofthe latter in order to attenuate particular sound 'waves. A rectangular elongated perforated metal liner 83 covers the entrance 82 to the resonant chamber 80, and is held in position by being provided with a shoulder 84 which bears against the flange 79, and a shoulder which bears against a sealing ring 86 in a recess surrounding the outlet of the exhaust passageway I0.

Mounted in the recessed area defined by the re-entrant portion I8 and the projecting portion 11 of the resonant muffler is a sound-absorbing m r mpri ing sound-absorbing material 88, such as sponge rubber. The walls I1, I8 and I0 of the resonant mufiler form the outer imperforate wall of the sound-absorbing material 88,

ment with the exhaust passageway Hi to discharge the dirt-laden air into the bag 65.

In the operation of the foregoing embodiments of the invention, assume the fans are removing dirt from the surface being cleaned. The ob- Detachably secured to the trances to the resonant chambers remove foreign matter from the dirt-laden air entering the resonant chambers. The energy of the sound waves are reduced by the absorption efiect of the sound-absorbing materials and their surrounding' casings. Finally, the sound waves that escape into the filter bag are attenuated and absorbed to such a degree that the resulting noise is negligible.

Any foreign material that collects in the resonant chambers is easily removed by disconnecting the resonant mufiier casing from the cleaner casings, to thereby uncover an opening through which the dirt may be removed without disturbing the other portions of the mufiier constructions.

Figures 6 through 8 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention and comprises a suction cleaner having a casing provided with a nozzle 96 rotatably supporting a surface contacting member 91 driven by a belt 99 connected to a motor pulley 99 supported on an unshown motor mounted on the casing 95. The motor is enclosed in a housing I00 and drives a fan IIII which discharges the dirt-laden air through an exhaust passageway I02.

A resonant muflier casing I03 is composed of two casing sections I00 and I05, the latter being formedintegrally with the cleaner casing 95 and comprising a conduit I05 forming an extension of the exhaust passageway I02, an end wall I01 extending about the muffler conduit I05 and an outer annular wall I08 spaced radially from the conduit I06 and projecting outwardly beyond the extreme end of I09 of the latter. The muiller casing section I05 comprises a wall IIEI removably secured to the wall I08 by means of a pair of bolts III, and is provided with an annular projection, I I2 which forms a continuation of the suction cleaner exhaust passageway I02. The cleaner casing walls I06, I01 and I08 cooperate with the removable end wall IIO to define a resonant chamber II3 concentric with the exhaust passageway I02, and the end wall H0 is spaced from the extreme end I09 of the mufiler conduit I06 to form an annular entrance H4 to the resonant chamber II3. The entrance H4 is of predetermined area with respect to the volume of the .resonant chamber II3 to attenuate sound waves over a certain range of frequencies. A dust filtering bag II5 has its lower end removably secured to an annular shoulder I IE on the muilier casing wall IIO whereby the latter acts as'a bag support.

In operation, assume the cleaner is removing dirt from the surface being cleaned. The dirtladen air is discharged through the exhaust passageway I02, and the sound waves pass through the annular entrance IIE into the resonant chamber II3. Due to the relative area of the entrance H4 with respect to the volume of the 'resonant chamber I13, the sound waves are atreceiving paper, the operator then steps on the flat portions m of the muiiier wall no and shakes the upper end of the bag to loosen the dirt.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, .a casing therefor, a

cooperating with said cleaner casing to define a resonant chamber, means in said mufiier casing means communicating with said exhaust passageway, said resonant chamber attenuating the sound waves emanating from said fan chamber.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing therefor, a

fan chamber in said casing, an exhaust passageway in said casing leading from said fan chamber, an exhaust flange at the end of said passageway in said casing, sound-absorbing material in said exhaust passageway, and a muflier casing connected to said exhaust flange, means in said mufiier casing communicating with said passageway, said muilier casing, exhaust flange and sound absorbing material cooperating to define a resonant chamber for attenuating sound waves emanating from said fan chamber.

3. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having an exhaust passageway for discharging air, and a casing removably mounted on said body and cooperating with the exterior of a wall of said body to form a space therebetween, said'casing having a re-entrant wall section within said space, sound absorbing,means lining said reentrant wall section and forming a continuation of said exhaust passageway exteriorly of said body, and means defining an opening connecting said space with said exhaust passageway and said space being otherwise closed, said opening and space being dimensioned with respect to each other and to form a resonant chamber for attenuating the sound waves in the air flowing through said exhaust passageway.

4. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having an exhaust passageway terminating in a flange, a casing exteriorly of said body and cooperating with said flange to form a space therebetween and an axial extension of the exhaust passageway, and means defining an opening connecting said space with said exhaust passageway and said space being otherwise closed, said opening and space being dimensioned with respect to each other to'iorm a resonant chamber for attenuating the sound waves in the air flowing through said exhaust passageway.

.5. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having an exhaust passageway for discharging air, a casing exteriorly of said body and cooperating with a wall of said body toiorm aspace therebetween and an axial extension of said exhaust passageway, means defining an opening connecting said space with said exhaust passageway and said space being otherwise closed, said opening and space'iorming a resonant chamber to attenuate the sound waves flowing through said exhaust passageway, and sound-absorbing material forming a wall for said exhaust passageway for absorbing the energy of the sound waves passing through said exhaust passageway.

6. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having an exhaust. passageway for discharging dirtladen air, a casing removably mounted on said body and cooperating with the exterior wall of 5 said body to form a space therebetween, said casing having a wall section forming a continuation of said exhaust passageway exteriorly of said body, means defining an opening connecting said space with said exhaust passageway and said space being otherwise closed to form a mufiler for the dirt-laden air passing through said exhaust passageway, and a dirt bag mounted on said casing for receiving the dirt-laden air expelled'therefrom, said bag and easing being removable as aunit from said body.

7. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having an exhaust passageway for discharging dirtladen air, a casing removably mounted on said body and cooperating with the exterior wall of said body to form a space therebetween, said casing having a wall section forming a continuation of said exhaust passageway exteriorly of said body, means defining an opening connecting said space with said exhaust passageway and 25 said space being otherwise closed to form a mufller for the dirt-laden air passing through said exhaust passageway, and a dirt bag having its lower end attached to said casing and enclosing the latter and its upper end movable to 30 position said bag in substantially a vertical position, said casing having its lower exterior suriace contoured to accommodate the bend in the lower wall of said bag when the latter is in said substantially vertical position.

8. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having an exhaust passageway for discharging dirtladen air, a mufller casing removably mounted on said body to form an axial extension of said exhaust passagewayv exteriorly of said cleaner 0 body, said mumer casing cooperating with said cleaner body to form, an open space adjacent said exhaust passageway, means defining an opening connecting said space with said exhaust passageway and said space being otherwise closed, said opening and space being dimensioned with respect to each other for attenuating the sound waves in the dirt-laden air in said exhaust passageway passing said opening, and a dirt-filtering bag for receiving the dirt-laden air after the sound waves have been attenuated.

9. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body having a nozzle, suction creating means, and an exhaust passageway connected directly to said suction creating means, said suction creating means drawing through said nozzle air laden with dirt and surface litter removed from the surface being cleaned and expelling said air directly into and through said exhaust passageway, a bag for receiving the dirt-laden air from said exhaust passageway, a casing cooperating with said cleaner body to form a resonant mumer chamber, means defining an opening connecting said resonant chamber with said exhaust passageway for passage of the sound waves in said dirt-laden air into said resonant chamberto attenuate said sound waves as the air, dirt and surface litter pass said opening to said resonant chamber and prior to discharge of said air, dirt andsuriace litter'into said dirt-receiving bag.

DALE C. GERBER. 

